Scottish Executive

Agri-Environment Schemes

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether heather moorland qualifies for support under agri-environment schemes.

Ross Finnie: Yes. Support for heather moorland management is available through the Argyll Islands, Cairngorms Straths, Shetland Islands, Stewartry, Breadalbane, Loch Lomond, Central and Western Southern Uplands Environmentally Sensitive Area Schemes (ESAs), which were open to new entrants until 31 December 2000. Support is also available through the Countryside Premium Scheme (CPS), which covers all land outwith the ESAs and was open to new entrants until 31 July 2000, and the Rural Stewardship Scheme (which, for new entrants, has now replaced the ESAs and the CPS). Support was also available under the Heather Moorland Scheme which closed to new applications in 1996.

Air Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration was given to the level of fares in issuing guidelines and granting public service obligations in respect of lifeline air services in the Highlands and Islands; whether the current levels of fares is appropriate, and, if not, what the level of fares for such services should be.

Lewis Macdonald: The criteria used for the assessment of the public service obligation routes include consideration of the level of air fares. The current levels are considered appropriate.

Air Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made regarding the level of fares on Highland and Island air services and (a) when and (b) to whom it made any such representations.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive and its agencies are in regular contact with airlines to discuss a range of aviation matters including fare levels.

Architecture

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to deliver high quality building design in Public/Private Partnership projects in line with the national policy on architecture.

Mr Andy Kerr: It is the Executive’s aim to act as an exemplar client in its procurement of buildings, whether through Private Finance Initiative or traditional means, and we recognise that good building design is a key to obtaining value for money. The policy on architecture commits the Executive to ensuring that design quality is taken into account in the guidance, training and advice made available to Executive clients for construction projects.

Archives

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to develop a national strategy for archives.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive will be developing a national strategy for public records by building on work conducted already by the Keeper of the Records of Scotland and the Scottish Records Advisory Council. The strategy will also be informed by the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Bill, passed by the Scottish Parliament on 24 April, which contains a number of provisions relating to public records and archives and a requirement for the Scottish to issue a code of practice as to the keeping, management and destruction of records.

Archives

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings it has had with COSLA to discuss the implementation of the National Cultural Strategy.

Dr Elaine Murray: A Joint Implementation Group, chaired by Mike Watson, has been set up with representatives from COSLA and other key agencies to review progress on the strategy and inform the development of policy in this area. This group meets on a six-monthly basis and has already met twice. In addition, a joint working group of the Executive and COSLA, which meets on a monthly basis, is developing best practice guidelines on the role of local authorities and their contribution to implementing the strategy. There have also been a variety of ad hoc contacts with COSLA on a range of matters covered by the strategy.

Archives

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the National Audit of Collections will be complete.

Dr Elaine Murray: The data collection for the National Audit has been completed and the Scottish Museums Council plan to launch the final report in July.

Archives

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the National Audit of Collections will be completed in time to feed into the next spending review.

Dr Elaine Murray: Yes, the National Audit will be completed in time to feed into the next spending review.

Cancer

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of one-stop cancer clinics dealing with cancer provide same day diagnosis.

Malcolm Chisholm: It is not possible to identify all the one-stop clinics which provide cancer diagnosis, as many of them cover a wide range of conditions which are treated by general surgeons, dermatologists and urologists.

  Information from NHSScotland indicates that it is currently operating 300 one-stop clinics, all of which provide a full diagnostic and, where appropriate, treatment service at a single visit. A patient referred to one of these one-stop clinics will typically receive a specialist consultation, undergo the appropriate diagnostic tests, receive results and undergo treatment where necessary. Where immediate treatment is not feasible, the patient should receive a date to attend for treatment.

Cancer

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what specific plans it has to combat the shortage of breast cancer specialists.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The diagnosis and treatment of patients with breast cancer involves a wide range of highly skilled staff from different medical specialties. We are already taking vigorous action to respond to specialist shortages in this field. In 2001 the numbers of higher specialist training posts available in Scotland were increased for cancer and cancer-related specialties by 29% in medical oncology, 26% in radiotherapy, 15% in histopathology and 16% in radiology. The specialities of general surgery and plastic surgery also saw increases of 9% and 25% respectively.

  Cancer in Scotland: Action for change was launched last year with a new investment and planning process, to ensure that decisions for cancer services are taken locally, to meet the needs of the people served by healthcare services. Recruitment and retention of specialist staff is central to this strategy. First year Implementation/Investment Plans are available at:

  www.scotland.gov.uk.

Cancer

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to develop a training centre for breast physicians.

Malcolm Chisholm: Women with breast problems are most often referred to specialist breast clinics, where they are normally seen by breast surgeons or general surgeons with a special interest in breast cancer. The term "breast physician" does not refer to any single recognised clinical specialty.

  There are no specific plans to establish specialist training centres for breast surgery. Cancer in Scotland: Action for Change sets out the Scottish Executive’s cancer strategy. Backed up by £60 million additional investment, implementation is progressing through annual investment plans prepared by the three Regional Cancer Advisory Groups and overseen by the Scottish Cancer Group. Cancer in Scotland and the 2001-02 investment plans are available at:

  www.scotland.gov.uk and www.show.scot.nhs.uk.

  Copies of the plans are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 17445).

Cancer

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many radiographers are currently qualified with mammography accreditation and how many have qualified in each year since 1995.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally, but could be obtained, by the member, from NHSScotland Screening Services.

Cancer

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24513 by Malcolm Chisholm on 9 April 2002, when guidelines were issued to make opportunistic screenings for oral cancer routine.

Malcolm Chisholm: An examination for oral cancer during the routine dental examination is considered to be part of good practice. Such opportunistic screening has been recommended through reports, such as the Scottish Needs Assessment Programme Oral Cancer Report. There have been no guidelines issued in relation to this issue.

Central Heating Programme

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated to residents of West Dunbartonshire through its central heating installation programme and what projections it has for take-up rates in the area.

Ms Margaret Curran: Allocations for local authorities and housing associations have not yet been finalised for this year because they are still completing the programme for 2001-02. It is therefore not possible to provide the information requested for the West Dunbartonshire local authority area. Eaga administer the programme for the private sector but do not collect information by local authority area. However, Eaga’s current budget will benefit some 4,600 owner-occupiers and private sector tenants across Scotland in 2002-03.

Charities

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce legislation regarding the regulation of charities and when such legislation will be introduced.

Mr Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21447 on 21 January 2002. More recent progress was reported in the answers given to questions S1W-24449 and S1W-24450, both on 24 April 2002; but this does not affect the timing of legislation.

Culture

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cultural co-ordinators have been appointed.

Dr Elaine Murray: The School Cultural Co-ordinators pilot programme was launched by Mike Watson on 2 May. All local authorities have been invited to apply for funding of £1.75 million available over this year and the next. The pilot will identify ways of maximising the potential contribution of culture to young people’s education, developing their self-confidence, their skills and creativity, and exploring opportunities to widen the range of experiences available to children.

Enterprise

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what targets for increasing research and development spending by business have been set, or are realistically achievable, for each of the next three years and how these figures compare with the rest of the UK.

Iain Gray: The Executive, in common with the UK Government, has not set targets for business spending on research and development over this period. The UK is signed up to the Lisbon Conference target of 3% of GDP to be spent on research and development by 2010. This target includes both Government and business spending.

  Business research and development spend is a matter for business but government can help to create a climate which encourages investment in research and development and innovation. The announcement in UK Budget 2002 of the extension to large firms of the existing research and development tax credit for SMEs will provide an estimated £400 million a year support for investment in new technology by UK industry.

Enterprise

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to increase the number of business start-ups and retention rates in Scotland and what these rates were in the most recent available quarter compared with the rest of the UK.

Iain Gray: Scottish Executive is working directly with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise to improve the quality and consistency of support for business start-ups and small businesses throughout Scotland. A number of measures have been introduced including the Small Business Gateway providing consistent support and advice to start-ups, existing, and growing businesses across the Scottish Enterprise Network. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) provide similar access to information and advice to businesses in the HIE area through its Business Information Source. Further improvements will be introduced as a result of the recent review of Scottish Enterprise’s Business Birth Rate Strategy.

  The most recent data on new businesses is the number of new VAT registrations in 2000. In Scotland the rate was 28 per 10,000 adults while for the rest of the UK the figure was 40 per 10,000 adults. The most recent information on survival rates show that 64.3% of businesses that registered in 1997 survived three years while the figures for the rest of the UK was 65.2%. Both of these are higher than for businesses that registered in 1996 but the increase was greater in Scotland.

  Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise have a target of 70% survival after three years for start-up businesses assisted by the Enterprise Networks.

Finance

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the £20 million allocated from the Capital Modernisation Fund for new or refurbished community sports facilities in the UK 2002 Budget will be apportioned to Scotland.

Mr Andy Kerr: Consequentials from all relevant Capital Modernisation Fund allocations are calculated according to the Barnett formula and added to the Scottish Consolidated Fund. It is for Scottish ministers to determine how these funds are allocated.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new Category A fishing licences, excluding Category A (Pelagic Purser), Category A (Pelagic Freezer) and Category A (Pelagic Trawler), as referred to in paragraph 3 of the Fishing Vessels (Decommissioning) (Scotland) Scheme 2001, have been issued since the scheme began, regardless of whether the new licence holder had previously held such a licence or received any assistance under the scheme.

Ross Finnie: As previously explained, the Fisheries Departments in the UK operate a restrictive licensing system, whereby anyone wishing to replace an existing vessel, or introduce a new vessel into the fleet, has to acquire an existing licence, or licences for aggregation, of an appropriate type and capacity to cover the incoming vessel. No new licences, other than to replace existing licences used in this way, have therefore been issued since the decommissioning scheme began. Indeed, as at 1 May, 46 licences have been surrendered and cancelled, as a result of operation of the scheme to date; and the number of licences within the system in the UK will have further reduced, as a result of transactions involving the aggregation of existing licences.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24417 by Ross Finnie on 9 April 2002, how many vessels which have had decommissioning plans accepted are being, or have been, scrapped in each of the locations mentioned.

Ross Finnie: As at 15 April, the number of vessels which are being, or have been scrapped at each of the locations listed in the answer provided to question S1W-24417, is as follows:

  


Location 
  

Number of Vessels 
  



Arbroath 
  

2 
  



Carradale 
  

1 
  



Dunbar 
  

1 
  



Esbjerg, Denmark 
  

11 
  



Grenaa, Denmark 
  

36 
  



Kilkeel 
  

5 
  



Macduff 
  

6 
  



Newcastle 
  

5 
  



Orkney 
  

2 
  



Port Bannatyne 
  

1 
  



Portavogie 
  

3 
  



Sandhaven 
  

3 
  



Stornoway 
  

5 
  



Stranraer 
  

2 
  



Vigo, Spain 
  

1

Football

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what contact it has had with Rangers and Celtic football clubs following the breakdown of the SPL-TV broadcasting talks.

Dr Elaine Murray: None on that issue.

Football

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the possible impact on Scotland’s regional economies of Celtic and Rangers football clubs’ attitude to Scottish football in the light of the breakdown of the SPL-TV broadcasting talks.

Dr Elaine Murray: None. Speculation about the attitudes of Rangers and Celtic football clubs to Scottish football is not a basis on which the Scottish Executive could undertake or commission regional economic impact assessments.

Health

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many pathologists who qualified in Scotland in each year from 1995 practise in Scotland.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not collected centrally.

  ISD Scotland, however, does collect data on the total numbers of pathologists employed by NHSScotland and the country of qualification of their primary medical degree. This is contained in the following table:

  Pathologists Employed by NHSScotland by Country of Qualification of Primary Medical Degree1

  


Headcount at 30 September 
  


 

1995 
  

1996 
  

1997 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  

2000 
  



Total 
  

42 
  

41 
  

44 
  

40 
  

41 
  

39 
  



Primary Degree from Scotland 
  

27 
  

24 
  

27 
  

25 
  

25 
  

23 
  



  Note:

  1. Includes honorary appointments.

Health

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what role alternative and complementary medicine have within the NHS.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive believes that complementary or alternative therapies may offer relief to some people suffering from a wide variety of conditions. There is no legislative bar to prevent practitioners of such therapies from offering their services, subject only to some general restrictions, such as those on prescribing and supplying medicines and giving injections. A GP or hospital clinician may refer a patient for alternative treatment, but would require to be satisfied of the value of the treatment and the competence of the practitioner, and would remain responsible for the patient’s medical care. It is also open to NHS boards to provide complementary or alternative therapies.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which organisations will be invited to attend the summit on hospital-acquired infections; how much notice will be given to these organisations to enable them to prepare adequately, and how evidence will be taken from them.

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on what date, and where, the summit on hospital-acquired infection will take place.

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who will chair the summit on hospital-acquired infection and what expertise the chairperson will hold.

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to allow the broadest range of organisations to take part in the summit on hospital-acquired infection.

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when its plans for the summit on hospital-acquired infection will be announced.

Malcolm Chisholm: The convention offers an excellent opportunity to promote new ideas and gain consensus on practical measures that can encourage best practice in tackling health care associated infection. It will build on work already under way and help ensure a more prominent place for infection control on the NHS agenda.

  Planning for the convention is in hand and an announcement about arrangements will be made in due course.

Housing

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new homes for (a) sale and (b) rent have been built in Midlothian in each year since 1997.

Ms Margaret Curran: The numbers of new dwellings which were completed in Midlothian in the years 1997-2000 were published in the following Scottish Executive Quarterly Housing Trends Statistical Bulletins, which are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre:

  HSG/1998/6 - Quarter Ending 31 December 1997

  (publication date October 1998, Bib. number 20888)

  HSG/1999/4 - Quarter Ending 31 December 1998

  (publication date September 1999, Bib. number 20889)

  HSG/2000/3 - Quarter Ending 31 December 1999

  (publication date June 2000, Bib. number 20890)

  HSG/2001/2 - Quarter Ending 31 December 2000

  (publication date June 2001, Bib. number 20891)

  Table 6 of each bulletin separately identifies the new dwellings that were built within each local authority area for (a) the local authority, (b) RSLs and (c) the private sector.

Housing

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) owner-occupied, (b) public sector rented and (c) private sector rented houses have been demolished in Midlothian in each year since 1997.

Ms Margaret Curran: Midlothian Council has reported that they have demolished only one property in the four year period 1997 to 2000, and that the demolition took place in 1999. The dwelling demolished was outwith the local authority rented sector, though its exact tenure is not known.

  Figures for 2001 are not yet available.

Justice

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24129 by Mr Jim Wallace on 8 April 2002, whether there have been any reports to the procurator fiscal of offences under paragraph 5 of Schedule 6 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and, if so, how many such reports there have been and how many have led to convictions.

Colin Boyd QC: No such reports have been received.

Local Authorities

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why the Falkirk Council structural plan has not been approved.

Ms Margaret Curran: It is expected that a final decision on the Falkirk Structure Plan will be announced by the Scottish ministers in the summer. The large number of representations made on this plan, together with other pressures of work, mean that the Scottish Executive has yet to complete its consideration of the plan.

Ministerial Correspondence

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Finance and Public Services will reply to my letter of 4 March 2002 regarding my constituent Ms M Macleod of Peterhead.

Ms Margaret Curran: A reply has now been issued.

Roads

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning intends to reply to my letter of 8 February 2002 to BEAR Scotland Ltd concerning A90 roadworks which has been passed from BEAR to the Executive and within what timescale MSPs should expect to receive responses to such letters.

Lewis Macdonald: The letter in question was passed to my officials on 27 March and I replied on 29 April. As indicated in the answer given to question S1W-24765 on 5 April 2002, future correspondence from MSPs on operational and factual matters will be answered directly by the operating companies

  BEAR has been reprimanded over its failure to pass this correspondence timeously to the Executive.

Roads

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any alterations have been made to its contract with BEAR Scotland Ltd; whether any changes have been made in the service specification contained in that contract in relation to the length of maintenance routes, and, if so, whether any alterations are being made to the level of remuneration paid to BEAR Scotland Ltd in respect of its maintenance routes and what any such changes are.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish ministers have entered into two contracts with BEAR Scotland Ltd, one in respect of the management and maintenance of the North West Unit and one for the North East Unit. There have been a limited number of minor alterations to these contracts since 1 April 2001. The construction of a new grade separated junction has also added to BEAR’s management and maintenance responsibilities. The level of remuneration paid to BEAR will be increased to cover these additional responsibilities, in accordance with the rates specified in the trunk road contracts.

Roads

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will bring forward proposals to upgrade the A92 between Preston, Fife, and the Tay Bridge.

Lewis Macdonald: A programme of junction improvements is currently underway covering the Balfarg Junction, the Preston Roundabout and construction of a new roundabout at the Markinch/Tullis Russell Junction. In addition the Executive intends to commission a Route Study Report during 2002 which will examine the section of the A92 between New Inn Roundabout and the Tay Bridge. This study will look at the operational characteristics of the route and recommend measures primarily aimed at improving road safety. Implementation will depend on the availability of funding in future spending programmes.

Scottish Executive Staff

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are currently employed by (a) it, (b) Executive agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies.

Mr Andy Kerr: (a) The Scottish Executive Core departments currently employ 4,290 people; (b) Executive Agencies currently employ 9,432 people, and (c) The number of staff employed in non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally.

Transport

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the central Scotland transport corridor studies will be completed.

Lewis Macdonald: The report for the 2005 and 2010 plans for the three corridors will be submitted to the Executive at the end of this month. Plans for 2020 will be submitted later in the year.

Water Authorities

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates any commercial agreements were signed between West of Scotland Water and Thames Water or its subsidiaries or consortia, including but not limited to agreements relating to the Loch Katrine water project.

Ross Finnie: This is a question for Scottish Water. The Chief Executive’s response is:

  Three agreements were signed between the West of Scotland Water and Thames Water.

  On 3 August 2001 Stirling Water Ltd was appointed by West of Scotland Water as one of four Strategic Partners to help West of Scotland Water deliver its Capital Investment Programme in the period 2002-06. The constituent parties of Stirling Water are MJ Gleeson, Thames Water and Montgomery Watson. The Form of Agreement for this contract was signed on 20 March 2002 with full agreement by the prospective management of Scottish Water.

  As part of West of Scotland Water’s drive to achieve efficiencies in its working practices, two consultancy agreements were entered into with Thames Water in April 2001. These agreements were in relation to the management services and technical services elements of our Capital Efficiency Project.

  The contract for the Katrine Water Project was signed between the West of Scotland Water and the MJ Gleeson Group Ltd, the lead member of the Stirling Water consortium, on 18 October 2000. No contract was signed with Thames Water or its subsidiaries. Thames Water are one of the subcontractors to MJ Gleeson.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Project

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Presiding Officer when the building and landscaping work for the new Parliament building will be completed.

Sir David Steel: I understand from the Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group that all buildings will be completed by April 2003   provided that no unexpected problems arise during the remaining stages of construction   It is estimated that hard landscaping will be complete in time for the opening of the new building and soft landscaping such as the planting of trees, bushes, shrubs etc will, in compliance with the planning permission granted by The City of Edinburgh Council, be completed six months after the building is occupied.

Holyrood Project

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Presiding Officer when the new Parliament building will be (a) fitted out and (b) ready for use by members.

Sir David Steel: The Corporate Body’s determined aim is for the building to be fit for occupation after the elections in May 2003 and this will be achieved provided no unexpected problems arise during the remaining stages of construction .

Scottish Parliament Expenditure

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Presiding Officer what the cost will be to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body of the increased level of employers’ National Insurance contributions in 2003-04.

Sir David Steel: : The cost to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body of the increased level of employers’ National Insurance contributions in 2003-04 is estimated to be around £230,000. This comprises the increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions for Parliamentary staff, Members and their staff.